New studies investigate the intake of fiber-rich foods to help with post-meal appetite
by IDS Director of Lifestyle and Nutrition, Jenny Smith
Does eating fiber-rich foods help curb your post-meal appetite?
We explore a lot of different ways to navigate BG management after meals when living with diabetes.
The tools we currently use include:
- More rapid-acting insulin
- Ultra-rapid insulins (Fiasp/Lyumjev)
- Prebolus strategy – taking insulin 10-30 minutes prior to a meal to give it action to hit the food and prevent a spike
- Automated insulin delivery pump systems that help by adjusting based on glucose rise after meals.
- Timing of different meal/food content – eating the protein and veggies prior to the carbohydrates at a mealtime.
- Paying attention to fiber-rich foods that have a lower glycemic impact (lower glycemic index) such as vegetables, beans, and unprocessed grains.
We also have new injectable medications that are not insulin.
These include the category of GLP-1 agonists – i.e. Ozempic/Mounjaro, etc. These work by:
- Helping trigger the release of insulin from beta cells
- Blocking glucagon release from the liver
- Decreasing stomach emptying – slowing digestion and increasing satiety (sounds similar to fiber!)
- Impact satiety – impacts areas of the brain that control hunger (again, similar to fiber!)
When we look further into dietary fiber (i.e.- real food, not supplements), it is valuable to consider what may also be a reason we see more benefit in appetite suppression and glucose smoothing after meals that are loaded with fiber.
Could it be that eating fiber-filled foods leads to some gut-specific hormones being released and it isn’t just the simple fiber doing all the work?
A recent article and study evaluated 2 gut-specific hormones that seem to have an impact on overall satiety. In the realm of diabetes management, this could also lead to an increase in satiety and less desire for more food than is needed. Appetite dysregulation is common in diabetes and leads to issues with glucose management and weight regulation.
Two hormones released in the gut after eating foods high in fiber are PYY as well as GLP-1 (yes, the body is supposed to regulate its own release of this more commonly known medication).
10 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned one of three different diets.
- High-fiber whole foods (carrots, peas)
- High-fiber blended foods (carrots, peas)
- Low-fiber processed foods.
Each participant was able to trial how each diet plan impacted satiety levels with a week between each diet type trial where they went back to their normal diet. Since this could have been a diet similar to a high fiber diet they were just on or back to a more processed food diet wasn’t considered. Only the impact during and directly after the diet trial with or without fiber was analyzed. The two high-fiber diets were similar in content of 46.3-47.9 grams each day of the week, and the low-fiber diet had only 12.6 grams of daily fiber. This is unfortunately pretty similar to the average dietary fiber intake of most Americans despite the USDA recommendation being 25g for women and 38g for men.
The takeaway points after 4 hours of post-meal evaluation show that PYY was increased after both high-fiber diets but not with the low-fiber diet plan. Also interesting is the fact that fiber had no impact on the release or action of GLP-1 release. While this hormone and medication is valuable for appetite suppression, it appears to work outside of the content of the meal.
What does this boil down to in practice?
Fiber-rich real foods can have a beneficial impact on overall portion control related to the natural way our body is meant to digest food and release hormones that take effect for satiety.
Increasing intake of fiber is not difficult – add a salad, or steamed or raw veggies to a meal and have that fill half of your plate. Add beans to salads or include them in other meals like soup, tacos, or on top of salads. Focus on eliminating processed foods that come in a box or are refined or enriched – which means they have the good stuff removed in processing and then added back to meet USDA regulations.
Considering the impact on blood sugar for those with diabetes we can see major shifts in post-meal blood sugar levels when we add more real food that is plant-based and low glycemic. It can help keep you full longer as well as lowering post-meal blood sugar levels even things out and allow more appetite regulation.
If you aren’t sure how to add more fiber to your diet or have no idea where to start, give us a call. We know what it is like to adjust nutrition intake to meet glucose targets and goals. We are here to help!
Back to August 2024 NewsletterSign Up For The IDS Monthly Newsletter!
